The Path 027 (Patreon)

Though the Labyrinth of Corridors was a nigh insurmountable challenge for the majority of examinees, many of whom didn't even qualify as First-Grade Warriors or Mages, Will couldn't help covering his mouth to stifle a yawn as he stood with his foot atop the head of a more than three-meter-tall bear with moss-green fur.

*high-pitched whistling*

"Hmmmm...?"

Catching the crossbow bolt intended for his temple, Will examined its tip with raised brows as the person who fired it abandoned their hiding spot and attempted to flee. However, when they noticed that Will wasn't even trying to chase them, they stopped and stared at him from afar.

Using Sound Transmission to transmit his voice across the more than one hundred meters separating them, Will smiled and remarked, "That was a well-placed shot, but you'll need to learn Wind Magic or something similar to suppress the sound of the crossbow's mechanism and the bolt in flight. Anyone with sharp ears and sufficient reaction speed can easily react."

Realizing that Will had no interest in chasing or trying to eliminate them, his would-be assassin removed the foliage-formed hood concealing the upper half of their face to reveal delicate features, pale purple eyes, and a head of long, ash-colored hair that framed their face with long, somewhat curly bangs. It was also fixed in a ponytail, but while some might assume they were a girl at first glance, Will could tell they were a boy even before they asked, "You're not angry that I tried to eliminate you?" in a measured but surprisingly deep voice for a ten to eleven-year-old.

Maintaining a relaxed smile, Will asked, "Why would I be? It's not like you created this place or put us into this situation. You're just doing what you think is necessary to increase your likelihood of success. That's your right, as well as the expectation foisted upon you."

"..."

Feeling a little self-conscious in the face of Will's level-headed response, the ashen-haired youth lowered their gaze with a conflicted look. Before they could think of how to respond, however, Will turned to leave, keeping the bolt intended for his head as a souvenir.

'P-Please wait...!" exclaimed the youth, rushing to catch up to Will as the latter turned to face him with raised brows.

Stopping a few meters from Will's position, the ashen-haired youth took a moment to catch their breath before standing upright, smiling, and saying, "My name is Ishyll, son of Fraust and Ymani. Though it is shameless of me to ask this, especially after what I've done, please allow me to attend you for the remainder of the exam."

"Sure," responded Will, leaving Ishyll at a brief loss as he hadn't expected such an immediate, much less affirmative, response.

"What's with the befuddled look?" asked Will, his expression revealing his amusement as he stated, "The Royal Family and the Great Constellations exist to guide the people of the Astralis Kingdom toward a bright future. I may be a mere Gamma Star of the Oirthear Constellation, but as someone who has enjoyed the boons of status and privilege, I have my fair share of obligations to uphold."

"How commendable..." muttered Ishyll, genuinely impressed and a little awed by Will's temperament. Most of the nobles he had seen throughout his admittedly short life were arrogant, egotistical, and unconcerned with the lives of those 'beneath' them. He had heard the rumors regarding the Orithear Constellation and its strong principles, but there was a difference between hearing about something and seeing it practiced in person...

"If you say so," mused Will, turning his back to Ishyll, ostensibly leaving himself open. Fortunately for the bright-eyed archer, he didn't attempt to test that theory and just followed along with a smile, curious to see where Will's path would take him...

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With several hours passing since he entered the Labyrinth of Corridors, Will suggested to his growing group of followers, consisting of thirteen similarly-aged children, that they take a break. Ishyll, acting as his de facto second-in-command, took charge of setting up a makeshift camp while Will, curious to see how much progress he had made, took a peek over the top of the wall while the purple-haired girl he had spoken up for back at the waiting room used Earth Magic to barricade the entrances of the glade chosen as their camping ground.

"Well, are we close...?" asked a different girl with purple hair, distinguished further by her dark, ash-brown skin and the fact she had two sets of ears. The two adorning the sides of her head were ordinary, at least by human standards, but she also had a pair of vestigial, jackal-like ears protruding from her crown, contrasting her twin brother, who only possessed human ears.

"Closer than we were," responded Will, causing the girl's face and nose to scrunch in displeasure. She, Aisha, and her brother, Azir, were both from the southernmost region of the Theas Duchy, so even though they were presently working together, she wasn't particularly fond of the notion that Will was in charge.

"What? Want to have another go at me...?" asked Will, grinning cheekily. In response, Aisha immediately rushed him with a pair of sickle-like weapons known as Kha. She was incredibly swift and agile for her age, a byproduct of her recessive Zoan traits, but Will was faster, backstepping to avoid the tip of Aisha's inverted crescent blade as the back grazed against the very tip of his nose.

"Oh? Close one~" hummed Will, utilizing his superior speed and footwork to evade Aisha's frenzied onslaught while keeping an eye on her brother. The purple-haired youth had yet to utter a word aloud, but he was by far the more dangerous of the duo as he possessed a rare affinity with Time Magic. 

Since she would yell at him if he didn't help, Azir exhaled an exasperated sigh before forming his hands into a seal, causing various runes to appear on his and Aisha's bodies. The two had a special link with one another, so by targetting himself with his Magic, he was able to accelerate the flow of time around him and his sister, albeit only for a short while.

With her speed more than doubling, Aisha managed to slice off the tip of Will's tie, causing his brows to rise slightly. She then lowered her center of gravity and tried to sweep his legs with a swift, revolving kick, but before she could complete the action, Will clapped his hands together, causing a hole to open beneath her as the shifting earth formed a sizeable dome of grass and soil.

"Sister...!" shouted Azir, deactivating his Magic and charging forward in a panic, fearing that his sister had been buried alive.

Rolling his eyes, Will linked his fingers together and said, "From earth and green to crystal grain. By my will, transform the land..."

At the expense of nearly a quarter of his limited reserves, Will converted the soil and grass enveloping Aisha into fine sand, causing the dome he had formed to collapse and dissolve away as Azir rushed to the coughing girl's side.

Pulling what remained of his tie away from his neck, Will tossed it on the ground where Aisha was hunched over, smiling as he stated, "It may not have ended in your favor, but you can take pride in the fact you forced me to act. Very well done."

"You dare patronize me...?" asked Aisha, glaring at Will with angry, fearful, and slightly teary eyes. After all, being buried alive and being helpless to do anything about it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences.

"On the contrary," responded Will, closing his eyes and bowing his head ever so slightly as he appended, "You may not have been seeking it, but you have proven yourself worthy of my respect."

"Tsk..."

Feeling even more annoyed, Aisha clicked her tongue, finished freeing herself from the pit of sand, and dragged Azir away in a huff. Before that, however, she snatched the tie Will had tossed in front of her, intending to use it to teach him a lesson via Curse Magic...

"Shall we oust them from our company...?" asked Ishyll, approaching Will alongside several others.

"For what...?" asked Will, meeting Ishyll's gaze with an amused smile and raised brows.

Without waiting for the youth's response, Will explained, "I was the one who goaded her into attacking, and we've already settled things between us. I understand your worries, but when you start condemning people for troubles they might cause, you inadvertently cause others to feel anxious that they may also be ostracized on a whim. Such methods are useful for controlling people over short periods, but long-term leadership requires a bit more...finesse..."

"Oh! I see...!" responded Ishyll, clapping his hands together with a starry-eyed expression. Those accompanying him took things a step further by applauding and making audible expressions of wonder, but while a normal child might have felt gratified by such a response, Will shook his head and thought, 'This is going to be a long five years...' while directing his gaze to the dimming sky overhead...

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Though half a day had passed from the perspectives of Will and the other examinees in his group, barely thirty minutes had passed for those in the crowd, observing the exam from the outside.

"It would appear the rumors surrounding the Gamma Star of the Oirthear Constellation harbor a semblance truth..." muttered a remarkably old man with half-moon glasses, long, slightly drooping ears, and sagely features that consisted of bushy white eyebrows and a mustache that transitioned into a braided, belly-length beard.

"Capable, he may be. But he's also trouble..." appended Professor Deidre, observing the scene of Will and the members of his group constructing a makeshift fortification and defensive line. It was expected that the sons and daughters of noble houses would take on leadership positions within their groups, but things were...different with Will. His brother, David, had also formed a sizeable group, but he struggled due to his lack of trust in others and trying to be the only decision-maker. Will was the opposite in this regard, as instead of telling people what to do, he made suggestions and then set out to do his own thing, unconcerned about whether or not others followed his example but readily assisting those who asked for his help or opinion.

"Trouble follows the Oirthears like Autumn follows Spring..." mused the elderly man, caressing his beard with a faint, grandfatherly smile and an intrigued glimmer in his stark blue eyes. He hadn't heard anything about Will's proficiency with Magic, so his curiosity was piqued when he saw the latter use Second-Circle Earth Dome without incanting. As a general rule, those who trained to acclimate their bodies to the use of Aura struggled to repurpose it for spellcasting. Thus, while it wasn't unheard of for one to possess talent in both the Martial and Magic Paths, the old man, one of only three Seventh-Circle Grand Magi and the current Chancellor of the Royal Academy, Ogma Aladfar Evergarden, found Will to be a peculiarity.

"Is there nothing we can do to fast-track him...?" asked Professor Deidre, lamenting the possibility of having to deal with Will and his antics for a full five years.

"Not without placing his brother and family in a difficult situation," replied Chancellor Ogma, discarding his smile for a contemplative look. He would also like to promote Will and potentially take the youth under his wing for a few years, but that was easier said than done with David in the picture. If they began promoting Will's growth without a suitable pretense, people would invariably accuse them of plotting to have him supplant his brother as the future Alpha Star of the Oirthear Constellation...

"I think it's about time for me to retire..." said Professor Deidre, closing her eyes and removing her glasses to clean them as Chancellor Ogma looked back with an expression that asked, 'Are you serious?'

"First, there was that monster, Astucia. Then came the Fourth Princess and the Beta Star of the Oirthear Constellation..." complained Professor Deidre, returning her glasses to her face and adopting an almost child-like pout as she added, "Now there's the Gamma Star of the same House, two more suspected offspring of the Demon Emperor, and the granddaughter of the previous generation's Sword Saint. Soon enough, there will be more monsters attending the Academy than I have digits to count..."

"Mmmm...I'll admit, it is a bit...peculiar..." acknowledged Chancellor Ogma, returning his gaze to the spherical projection he was using to observe the practical. One of the factors that made prodigies exceptional was the fact they were rare. Yet, within the past decade or so, dozens of extraordinary talents had appeared, many born in the same year. It was easy to suspect that something was afoot, but as there were no common threads between the majority of these children, Ogma and others could do little more than speculate about the reasons why...

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